GATEWAY DEVICE, MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, MOBILE TERMINAL, PACKET TRANSFER CONTROL METHOD, CONTROL METHOD OF MOBILE TERMINAL, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20120201186A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Awano, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/026 Multicasting of data during hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A pass-through packet determination unit (112) of an anchor GW 100A controls whether or not to transfer a Layer 3 packet arriving from an external network (20) to a downlink channel set up with a mobile terminal (700) based on a transfer policy. Further, a transfer policy control unit (111) changes the transfer policy to enable transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal (700) by the downlink channel in response to receiving from the mobile terminal (700) a Layer 3 packet preliminarily specified as a trigger to start transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal (700) by the downlink channel.

Claims

1. A gateway device located at a boundary between a radio access network to conduct wireless communication with a mobile terminal or a core network connected to the radio access network and an external network, comprising:

a channel management unit that terminates a logical downlink channel for transmitting a packet to the mobile terminal and a logical uplink channel for receiving a packet from the mobile terminal;

a pass-through packet determination unit that controls whether to transfer a packet arriving from the external network to the downlink channel based on a transfer policy; and

a transfer policy control unit that changes the transfer policy based on a signal arriving from the mobile terminal,

wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to enable transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel in response to receiving from the mobile terminal a signal preliminarily specified as a trigger to start transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel.

2. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein

the channel management unit can set the downlink channel and the uplink channel individually with a plurality of mobile terminals, and

the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to enable selective transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal from which the preliminarily specified signal is transmitted.

3. The gateway device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a packet duplication unit that duplicates a multicast packet or a broadcast packet allowed to be transferred by the pass-through packet determination unit to create packets of the same number as the number of transfer destination mobile terminals,

wherein the channel management unit transmits each of the packets duplicated by the packet duplication unit to each of downlink channels associated with the transfer destination mobile terminals.

4. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects the preliminarily specified signal by monitoring at least one of a destination address, a destination port number and protocol type information assigned to a Layer 3 packet in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network through the uplink channel.

5. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the preliminarily specified signal contains an IP (Internet Protocol) multicast packet related to SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol) or mDNS (multicast Domain Name System).

6. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to stop transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel in response to detecting that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed.

7. The gateway device according to claim 6, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed by detecting a predetermined packet from among a packet flow in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network.

8. The gateway device according to claim 6, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed based on deletion of the downlink channel and the uplink channel.

9. The gateway device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a proxy response unit configured to generate a response packet to be transmitted to the external network on behalf of the mobile terminal when a multicast packet or a broadcast packet for request transmitted with a view to receiving a response by the mobile terminal is detected from among a packet flow arriving from the external network.

10. The gateway device according to claim 9, wherein

the transfer policy control unit is configured to capture and store a response packet generated by the mobile terminal to respond to the multicast packet or the broadcast packet for request from among a packet flow arriving from the mobile terminal by the uplink channel, and

the proxy response unit generates the response packet for proxy response using the response packet stored by the transfer policy control unit.

11. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy in response to a transfer policy setting request arriving from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel.

12. The gateway device according to claim 1, wherein, when the transfer policy control unit receives a transfer policy setting request from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel, the transfer policy control unit makes inquiry to an external policy setting node about whether to change the transfer policy in response to the transfer policy setting request and changes the transfer policy according to a response from the policy setting node.

13. A mobile communication system comprising:

a radio access network to conduct wireless communication with a mobile terminal;

a core network connected to the radio access network; and

a gateway device located at a boundary between the radio access network or the core network and an external network and including an interface connectable to the external network,

wherein the gateway device includes;

a channel management unit that terminates a logical downlink channel for transmitting a packet to the mobile terminal and a logical uplink channel for receiving a packet from the mobile terminal;

a pass-through packet determination unit that controls whether to transfer a packet arriving from the external network to the downlink channel based on a transfer policy; and

a transfer policy control unit that changes the transfer policy based on a signal arriving from the mobile terminal,

wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to enable transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel in response to receiving from the mobile terminal a signal preliminarily specified as a trigger to start transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel.

14. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein

the channel management unit can set the downlink channel and the uplink channel individually with a plurality of mobile terminals, and

the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to enable selective transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal from which the preliminarily specified signal is transmitted.

15. The mobile communication system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a packet duplication unit that duplicates a multicast packet or a broadcast packet allowed to be transferred by the pass-through packet determination unit to create packets of the same number as the number of transfer destination mobile terminals,

wherein the channel management unit transmits each of the packets duplicated by the packet duplication unit to each of downlink channels associated with the transfer destination mobile terminals.

16. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects the preliminarily specified signal by monitoring at least one of a destination address, a destination port number and protocol type information assigned to a Layer 3 packet in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network through the uplink channel.

17. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein the preliminarily specified signal contains an IP (Internet Protocol) multicast packet related to SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol) or mDNS (multicast Domain Name System).

The mobile communication system according to claim 13, wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy to stop transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel in response to detecting that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed.

21. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a proxy response unit configured to generate a response packet to be transmitted to the external network on behalf of the mobile terminal when a multicast packet or a broadcast packet for request transmitted with a view to receiving a response by the mobile terminal is detected from among a packet flow arriving from the external network.

22. The mobile communication system according to claim 21, wherein

the transfer policy control unit is configured to capture and store a response packet generated by the mobile terminal to respond to the multicast packet or the broadcast packet for request from among a packet flow arriving from the mobile terminal by the uplink channel, and

the proxy response unit generates the response packet for proxy response using the response packet stored by the transfer policy control unit.

23. The mobile communication system according to claim 13,

wherein the transfer policy control unit changes the transfer policy in response to a transfer policy setting request arriving from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel.

24. The mobile communication system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a policy setting node,

wherein, when the transfer policy control unit receives a transfer policy setting request from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel, the transfer policy control unit makes inquiry to the policy setting node about whether to change the transfer policy in response to the transfer policy setting request and changes the transfer policy according to a response from the policy setting node.

19. The mobile communication system according to claim 18, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed by detecting that a predetermined packet from among a packet flow in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network.

20. The mobile communication system according to claim 18, wherein the transfer policy control unit detects that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed based on deletion of the downlink channel and the uplink channel.

25. A mobile terminal that conducts communication with an upper network including a radio base station, comprising:

a radio interface wirelessly connectable to the radio base station;

a communication control unit that transmits and receives a packet to and from the upper network via the radio interface; and

a packet transfer request unit that transmits a policy setting request to the upper network via the communication control unit and the radio interface,

wherein the policy setting request is transmitted to request the upper network to transfer a multicast packet or a broadcast packet arriving at the upper network from an external network from the upper network to the mobile terminal,

the policy setting request contains transfer policy information for specifying a multicast packet or a broadcast packet requested to be transferred, and

the transfer policy information contains protocol information of an upper layer than Layer 3 indicating an attribute of the multicast packet or the broadcast packet requested to be transferred.

26. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein the packet transfer request unit transmits a signal requesting switching between enable and disable of proxy response to the external network by the upper network to the upper network via the communication control unit and the radio interface.

27. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein the protocol information contains designation of a protocol number contained in a header of the multicast packet or the broadcast packet.

28. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein the protocol information contains designation of at least one of a destination port number and a source port number contained in the multicast packet or the broadcast packet.

29. The mobile terminal according to claim 25, wherein the multicast packet requested to be transferred is a packet related to SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol), and

the protocol information contains designation of being the packet related to SSDP.

30. A packet transfer control method at a boundary between a radio access network to conduct wireless communication with a mobile terminal or a core network connected to the radio access network and an external network, comprising:

determining whether a signal preliminarily specified as a trigger to start transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to a downlink channel for transmitting a packet to the mobile terminal is received from the mobile terminal via an uplink channel; and

changing a packet transfer policy from the external network to the downlink channel to enable transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet arriving from the external network to the mobile terminal in response to receiving the preliminarily specified signal.

31. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, wherein the changing of the packet transfer policy includes changing the transfer policy to enable selective transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal from which the preliminarily specified signal is transmitted.

32. The packet transfer control method according to claim 31, comprising:

duplicating a multicast packet or a broadcast packet allowed to be transferred to the mobile terminal to create packets of the same number as the number of transfer destination mobile terminals; and

transmitting each of the duplicated packets to each of downlink channels associated with the transfer destination mobile terminals.

33. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, wherein the determination as to whether the preliminarily specified signal is received is made by monitoring at least one of a destination address, a destination port number and protocol type information assigned to a Layer 3 packet in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network through the uplink channel.

34. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, wherein the preliminarily specified signal contains an IP (Internet Protocol) multicast packet related to SSDP (Simple Service Discovery Protocol) or mDNS (multicast Domain Name System).

35. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, further comprising:

changing the transfer policy to stop transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal by the downlink channel in response to detecting that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed.

36. The packet transfer control method according to claim 35, wherein the detection that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed is done by detecting a predetermined packet from among a packet flow in an uplink direction transmitted from the mobile terminal to the external network.

37. The packet transfer control method according to claim 35, wherein the detection that transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the mobile terminal is not needed is done based on deletion of the downlink channel and the uplink channel.

38. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, further comprising:

generating a response packet to be transmitted to the external network on behalf of the mobile terminal and transmitting the response packet to the external network when a multicast packet or a broadcast packet for request transmitted with a view to receiving a response by the mobile terminal is detected from among a packet flow arriving from the external network.

39. The packet transfer control method according to claim 38, further comprising:

capturing a response packet generated by the mobile terminal to respond to the multicast packet or the broadcast packet for request from among a packet flow arriving from the mobile terminal by the uplink channel and storing the captured packet as a sample,

wherein the response packet generated by proxy is generated based on the sample.

40. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30, wherein

the preliminarily specified signal contains a transfer policy setting request arriving from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel, and

the change of the transfer policy is made based on the transfer policy setting request.

41. The packet transfer control method according to claim 30,

wherein the preliminarily specified signal contains a transfer policy setting request arriving from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel

wherein the changing of the packet transfer policy includes:

making, when receiving a transfer policy setting request from the mobile terminal through the uplink channel, inquiry to an external policy setting node about whether to change the transfer policy in response to the transfer policy setting request; and

changing the transfer policy according to a response from the policy setting node.

42. A control method of a mobile terminal that conducts communication with an upper network including a radio base station, the method comprising:

transmitting a policy setting request to the upper network via a radio interface wirelessly connectable to the radio base station, wherein

the policy setting request is transmitted to request the upper network to transfer a multicast packet or a broadcast packet arriving at the upper network from an external network from the upper network to the mobile terminal,

the policy setting request contains transfer policy information for specifying a multicast packet or a broadcast packet requested to be transferred, and

the transfer policy information contains protocol information of an upper layer than Layer 3 indicating an attribute of the multicast packet or the broadcast packet requested to be transferred.

43. The control method according to claim 42, further comprising:

transmitting a signal requesting switching between enable and disable of proxy response to the external network by the upper network to the upper network via the radio interface.

44. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute packet transfer control at a boundary between a radio access network to conduct wireless communication with a mobile terminal or a core network connected to the radio access network and an external network, the transfer control comprising:

determining whether a signal preliminarily specified as a trigger to start transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to a downlink channel for transmitting a packet to the mobile terminal is received from the mobile terminal via an uplink channel; and

changing a packet transfer policy from the external network to the downlink channel to enable transfer of a multicast packet or a broadcast packet arriving from the external network to the mobile terminal in response to receiving the preliminarily specified signal.

45. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute control related to a mobile terminal that conducts communication with an upper network including a radio base station, the control comprising:

transmitting a policy setting request to the upper network via a radio interface wirelessly connectable to the radio base station, wherein

the policy setting request is transmitted to request the upper network to transfer a multicast packet or a broadcast packet arriving at the upper network from an external network from the upper network to the mobile terminal,

the policy setting request contains transfer policy information for specifying a multicast packet or a broadcast packet requested to be transferred, and

the transfer policy information contains protocol information of an upper layer than Layer 3 indicating an attribute of the multicast packet or the broadcast packet requested to be transferred.